Pressing machine



June 1, 1936- G. w. JOHNSON 2,045,35

PRES S ING MACHINE Filed om. 17, 1933 2 Sh et s-Sheet 1 f7 32 33 Ta t/ 1 INVENTOR ATTO Patented June 23, 1936 PRESSING MACHINE George W. Johnson, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor to The American Laundry Machinery Company, Norwood, Cincinnati, Ohio, at corporation of Ohio Application October 17, 1933, Serial No. 693,957

16 Claims.

This invention relates to a pressing machine of-the type used in laundry and garment work.

A feature of the machine is the provision of an expansible pressing member which is movable into and out of registration with the pressing head.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of means for automatically expanding the movable element when it reaches registering position beneath the coacting pressing member.

A further object of the invention is the provision of means for actuating the control means for the bed in press opening direction and simultaneously actuating the control valves for the fluid supply to the expansible element in deflating direction.

Further objects and advantages will appear from the accompanying description together with the drawings and the essential features will be summarized in the claims.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a pressing machine involving my invention with the cover plate broken away to more clearly show the parts; Fig. 2 is a view along the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a view of the release mechanism along the line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a View partly in section taken transversely of the pressing bed; Fig. 5 is a somewhat diagrammatic view of the valve mechanism for controlling the fluid supply to the pressing bed;v While Fig. 6 is a schematic layout of the fluid pressure system.

My invention comprises in general a pressing head carried by a frame and a pressing bed adapted to coact with the head and arranged for movement into and out of registration with the head. A fluid pressure actuated piston motor moves the bed into registering position, whereupon a connection is established between the expansible bed and a fluid pressure supply. Also, as the bed reaches registering position it actuates a fluid control valve to admit pressure to the expansible element, thus creating final heavy pressure between the pressing elements. Upon completion of the pressing operation 'an operator controlled member is actuated to introduce pressure to a release cylinder which moves the control valves for the fluid motor in a press opening direction and simultaneously closes the inlet of fluid pressure to the expansible element and opens the exhaust therefor to deflate the pressing bed. Thereafter a spring returns the pressing bed to its forward or open position.

I have chosen to illustrate my invention as applied to a press of the sliding or clear buck type;

that is, one in which the pressing buck or bed is moved to an open position for the operator to arrange the lay of work thereupon, the bed being thereafter moved away from the operator and into registering position beneath the pressing head where the final pressure is applied. It

will be understood by those skilled in the art that many of the features of my invention might be used in conjunction with other types of presses.

The press illustrated in Fig. 1 comprises a frame in supporting arms H from which is suspended a pressing head I2. A pressing bed 83 is mounted on a carriage having rollers I4 which are adapted to travel substantially horizontally along rails l5 which are carried by the frame. For moving the bed into registering position beneath the head I provide a fluid actuated piston motor I6 whose piston rod I1 is connected by link l8, cranks l9 and 2t) pivoting about shaft 2 I, and link 22 with the movable bed. It will be apparent from inspection of Fig. 1 that movement of the piston of motor IE to the right will cause movement of the bed [3 rearwardly into registering position beneath the head. For returning the bed to its forward or open position I provide a spring 23 connected by a crank 24 to the shaft 2|.

The control of fluid pressure to motor [6 is by way of a combined inlet and exhaust conduit 25 Which is adapted to be alternatively connected by inlet and outlet valves to a pressure supply or to atmospheric exhaust. The inlet valve is shown at 26 connected by conduit 21 to a source of fluid pressure 28. The exhaust valve at 29 connects conduit 25 with exhaust conduit 30. The valve stems for actuating valves 26 and 29 lie on opposite sides of a sloping cam 34 best seen in Figs. 1 and 2. This cam is rigidly mounted on a control shaft 32 which extends from the rear to the front of the machine and adjacent the operators position is provided with an actuating handle 33. Movement of the control handle 33 counterclockwise as seen in Fig. 2 will close exhaust Valve 29 and open inlet valve 26, thus supplying fluid pressure to motor l6 for the purpose of moving the bed into registering p0 sition.

The structure of the pressing bed is illustrated in Fig. 4. This construction is similar to that illustrated, described and claimed in my copending application, SerialNo. 693,958, filed October 17, 1933, but it will be understood that many types of expansible pressing bed are suitable for use in the pressing machine here described. The bed shown comprises a base member 34 mounted on a standard 35 and a movable member 36 which'carries a suitable spring padding 3! and with upstanding edge flanges 39 and the movable member has downwardly extending flanges 46 and between these flanges is an endless flexible strip 4| which seals the space between the two portions of the bed enclosing a chamber 42 which is inflated and deflated to raise the pressing bed into engagement with the head.

Means is provided for establishing communication between the expansible bed and an outside source of fluid pressure supply by means of coacting coupling members, one of which, 43, is carried by the bed and communicates by conduit 44 with chamber 42. The other coacting member 45 is carried by the frame and is provided with a gasket 46 which makes a substantially air-tight connection with the member 43 a when the bed reaches registering position beneath the head. Coupling member 45 is connected by means-of conduit 4! and inlet valve 48 with a suitable source of fluid pressure supply 49. Member 45 :is-also connected to the exhaust conduct 36 by means of conduit 50 and outlet valve .51. Valves 4-8 and :5l are normally held in their closed position by springs 52 and :53 respectively.

Means is provided for automatically introducing fluid pressure into the expansible bed when the bed reaches registering position. In the form disclosed this comprises an arm54 pivotally mounted on the frame at 55 in a position to contact the stems of valves 43 and .5 l. A projection of arm .54 lies in the path of a pin 5.5 carried by the bed support, this pin being yieldingly held in its extended position by aspring 57.. which is strong enough to .overcome the bias of spring 52 of the inlet valve. As the bed reaches pressing position communication is established between the coupling members 43 and 45 and pin .56 moves arm .51 counterclockwise asseen in Fig. 5, thus closing exhaust valve 5| and opening inlet valve 148 to admit fluid pressure to-chamber 42 which expands the bed into pressure engagement against the head.

After the elapse of suflicient time for the pressing operation, operator controlled means is provided for moving the control valves of motor l6 in a press opening direction while simultaneously moving the control valves forbed l3 in bed deflating direction. The means disclosed comprises a fluid pressure actuated release cylinder 58, the fluid pressure supply for which is controlled by valve 59 whichin turn is actuated by a push-rod 69 which contacts a finger guard 6i depending from the frame before the pressing head. Movement of guard 61 rearwardly opens valve 59, which admits fluid pressurethrough conduit v62 from a suitable source through valve 59 and condint-63 to release cylinder .58. This mechanism is best shown in Figs. 1 and 3 where the release cylinder is shown having a piston rod 64 which abuts a lever 65 which has a pivot support at 66 and a rigid lever arm 61 extending in the opposite direction from the pivot and rigid with arm .65 so .that movement of arm 65 upward causes downward movement of arm 61. On the rear end of shaft 32 is a flange collar 68. Arm 61 carries a pin69 which engages a slot .10 in a link H which is connected by a bell crank 12 and link 13 with the arm 54 above described in connection with the control of fluid pressure to the expansible bed.

The operation of the release cylinder is as fol lows: When the bed moves into registering position beneath thehead, arm 54 is moved counterclockwisaas shown in Fig. 5, whereupon bell crank 12 moves in a clockwise direction and link H moves upwardly without afiecting the position of arm 61 but moving the bottom of slot 10 substantially into contact with pin 69. When the operator moves the finger guard 6| rearwardly either accidentally by keeping her hands too long upon the pressing bed as it moves toward pressing position, or purposely at the close of the pressing operation, valve 59 is opened. This admits fluid pressure to release cylinder 58 which moves ,arm 65 upwardly and moves collar 68 from its operated position (indicated in broken lines, Fig. 3) to its full line position in Fig. 3. This produces two results. It moves control handle 33 and cam 13! in a clockwise direction, which closes valve 26 and opens valve 29, thus releasing the pressure in motor [Band permitting spring 23 to return the bed to its forward or open position. Simultaneouslyarm 61 and pin 69 move downwardly and throughlink 1|, bell crank 12, and link 13 moves arm 54 in a clockwise direction, thus closing valve 48 and opening valve 5! to deflate the eXpansible element. This movement of arm 54 is made possible by the yielding support of pin 56 which permits arm 54 to return to its normal position as shown in Fig. 1 until the bed is deflated and moves to its open position. 1

While Ihave illustrated an. expansible bed of a certain type, my invention contemplates the use of any pressing member movable on a carriage or other support into and out of registration with a coacting pressing member and actuated into final pressing engagement by a fluid pressure expansibleelement carried along with the movable member.

"What I claim is:

1. In a press of the class described, a pair of coacting pressing "members, a carriage supporting one of the members for movement into and out .of registration with .the other member, fluid pressure means ont-he carriage for producing relative pressing approach .of said members, means for moving the carriage to register the members, and means controlledwby said carriage as it moves said one pressing member into registering position for controlling the fluid pressure means.

2. In a press of the class described, a pair of coacting pressing members, a carriage supporting one of the members for movement into and out of registration with the other, means for moving the carriage, fluid pressure means on the carriage for producing relative pressing approach of said members, means for automatically causing relative approach of said members after said movable member reaches registering position and for automatically causing relative recession of said members when said movable member moves out of registering position, said last named means being arranged for actuation by said carriageas it moves into and out of registration-producing position.

*3. In a press of the class described, a pair of relatively movable coacting pressing members, at least one of which comprises means for moving a pressing surface into pressure engagement by fluid pressure, means for moving said members into registering or out-of-registration position, Control means therefor, means for supplying fluid pressure to said pressing surface moving means, control 'meansfor said supply means having press closing and opening positions, and a fluid pressure actuated release cylinder for causing movement of the first named control means to out-ofregistration position and movement of the second named control means to press-opening posi-- tion.

' 4-.. In a press of the class described, a pair of means for causing movement of the first named control means to out-of-registration position and movement of the second. named control means to press-opening position, and a finger guard for controlling the flow of power to said power means.

5. In a press of the class described, a pair of coacting pressing members, one of said members being mounted on a support for movement into and out of registration with the coacting member, means carried by the support for moving a pressing surface into pressure engagement by fluid pressure, means for supplying said fluid pressure, control means for said supply, and means for actuating said control means in pressure applying direction by said support as it moves into member registering position.

6. In a press of the class described, a pair of relatively movable coacting pressing members, at least one of which is expansible by fluid pressure, means for moving said members into registering or out-of-registration position, control means therefor, means for expanding the expansible member, control means for said expanding means having inflating and deflating positions, and power means for causing movement of the first named control means toout of registration position and movement of the second named control means to deflating position.

7. ma press of the class described, apair of relatively movable coacting pressing members, at least one of which is expansible by fluid pressure, means for moving said members into registering or out-of-registration position, control means therefor, means for expanding the expansible member, control means for said expanding means having inflating and deflating positions, and a fluid pressure actuated release cylinder for causing movement of the first named control means to out-of-registration position and movement of the second named control means to deflating position.

8. In a press of the class described, a pair of relatively movable coacting pressing members, at least one of which is expansible by fluid pressure, means for moving said members into registering or out-of-registration position, control means therefor, means for expanding the expansible member, control means for said expanding means having inflating and deflating positions, power means for causing movement of the first named control means to out-of-registration position and movement of the second named control means to deflating position, and a finger guard for controlling the flow of power to said power means.

9. In a press of the class described, a frame, a pressing head carried thereby, a pressing bed movable into and out of registration withthe head, said bed having a pressing surface expansible into pressure engagement by fluid pressure, coacting members carried. by the bed and frame for supplying fluid pressure to the bed, said coacting members being automatically connected said valve pansible by fluid pressure, means for moving said expansible member into pressing position, means when the bed registers with the head, a control valve forthe' supply of fluid pressure to said members, and means for automatically opening when the bed reaches registering position.

' I 10. In a press of the class described, a frame,

a source of fluid supply thereon, a pair of relatively movable coacting pressing members carried by said frame, at least one of which is exfor establishing communication between saidv expansible member and said fluid supply source upon movement of said expansible member'into pressing position, inlet and outlet valves for conl.

trolling the flow of said fluid means operableby movement of said expansible member into pressing position for opening said inlet valve and closing said outlet valve, and operator controlled means for reversing the position of said valves. 2 11. In a press of the class described, a pair of relatively movable coacting pressing members, one of which is expansible into pressure engagement byfluid pressure, means for moving said expansible member into and out of pressing po- 2.

sition, control means therefor, means for supplying fluid under pressure to the expansible member in pressing position, control means for said fluid supply, means for actuating the first named'control means to move said expansible member out of pressing position, and means for simultaneously actuating said second named control means to cut ofi the supply of fluid to said expansible pressing member.

12. In a press of the class described, the combination of a frame, a pressing head supported thereby, a pressing bed movable into and out of registration with said head, said bed being expansible into pressure engagement by fluid pressure, a fluid pressure actuated motor for causing registering movement of said bed, control valves for said motor, means for supplying fluid pressure to the expansible bed, control valves for said means, an arm pivoted on the frame and movable in one direction by the bed to move the fluid pressure control valves for the bed supply into bed expanding position, operator controlled means for moving said arm in another direction to move the fluid pressure control valves into bed deflating position, and said last named means also actuating the control valves for said motor into out-ofregistration position.

13. In a press of the class described, a frame, a pair of coacting pressing members on said frame, one of said members being mounted on a support for movement into and out registration with the coacting member, means carried by the support for expanding the movable member in press-closing direction, means for supplying pressure fluid to said expansible means, and coacting means on said movable member and frame for actuating said last named means in member expanding direction by movement of the movable member into registering position.

14. In apress of the class described, the com- 6 bination of a frame, a pressing member mounted on the frame, a second pressing member mounted on a carriage for movement into and out of registration with the first-named member, means for moving the carriage, fluid pressure means on the carriage for producing relative pressing approach means, and coacting means on said second member and frame for actuating said control means in fluid supplying direction by movement of the second member into registration. V

15. In a press of the class described, the com? bination of a frame, a first pressing member mounted on the frame, a second pressing member mounted on asupport for movement into and out of registration-with the first member, said second member having a pressing surface and an expansion chamber for moving said surface into engagement with the first member, means for moving said support, coacting parts on said frame and support for supplying pressure fluid to said expansionrchamber when said members register, said parts being disconnected when said members are out of registration and said support moving means being arranged to maintain said parts in GEORGE W. JOHNSON. 

